Online poker is enjoyed by millions of people all around the world. There are many novice players and a small percentage of these go on to achieve expert level at poker. Part of the fun of this game is figuring out when to place bets, being able to develop skills and beating your opponents. Getting to an advanced level requires a lot of practice and learning about game tactics and strategy.
You need to have a high level of patience and the right mindset in order to participate and do well in an online poker game as well as building up the right knowledge and skill set.
All successful poker players have a well defined strategy in place and if you would like to improve your game, it’s a good idea to develop your own. To help you get a strategy in place, we identify the importance of position at the table and how it affects decision-making, playing styles, the principles of GTO and its role in modern poker, as well as how to identify weaknesses in opponents’ play.
Poker positioning and how to take advantage?
Positioning in poker can be a very powerful tool, skilled players are able to utilise their position in a poker game in order to take advantage and control the flow of the hand. For instance, you could decide to add pressure on your opponents by playing more hands in a late position when they begin to show some signs of weakness.
Playing styles – When to play aggressively and when to play passively?
In order to improve your poker, it is a good idea to get a strong grasp of your individual playing style so that you can look at what areas you may need to adapt. This includes looking at how aggressively you play the game.
But what does an aggressive playing style mean? An aggressive player who is likely to bluff more often and are able to confidently place a bet even when the hand they have is not that strong. However, a passive player is more likely to check or call far more often and may even refrain from playing some of their good hands.
It is not recommended to play too extremely in either direction. In fact, it is likely you will find yourself in situations where being aggressive is the needed approach to win the hand and other situations when being passive and playing with caution might help to avoid significant losses.
You might be able to spot a player that is either too aggressive or too passive in their play and be able to use this to your advantage. For example, an overly passive player may be very predictable. If they fold frequently, then being a tend more aggressive with your bluffing frequency.
The principles of GTO
The GTO poker strategy has been around for more than a decade, however far too many players are not aware of it or not entirely sure how to use it in their gameplay. The full name of this strategy is ‘Game Theory Optimal’ and it contrasts sharply to the more traditionally exploitative strategies that were popular in the past.
The traditional strategy aims to seek holes in your opponent’s game and make use of them. By contrast, the GTO strategy is more balanced and aims to protect you from any exploitative player while gradually building profit based on your opponent’s imperfect play decisions.
In a GTO strategy, you do use bluffing and value betting regularly throughout the game and you put less effort into focusing on what your opponent is doing. This strategy is used by many more experienced players and pro players tend to agree it can be a successful way to play.
If you are interested in getting to grips with the GTO strategy, it is recommended that you do some more in-depth reading around the topic and understand the different aspects of it before putting it into practice. You may be able to watch video demos online and seek advice from players experienced in GTO in online forums and interest groups.
What else can you do?
One way to get good at the game is to learn from the best. Identify players that are more experienced than yourself and ask for their guidance. If you participate in games with them they may be able to give you some honest feedback about where your weaknesses are and how you can improve.
You should also keep track of your own play and look for patterns, this will help you to adapt and refine your poker strategy further.
Lastly, it’s all about practice. You need to play lots in order to build up the experience required to develop your skills and succeed at poker.
Disclaimer:
CBD:
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The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) outlaws the recreational use of cannabis products in India. CBD oil, manufactured under a license issued by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, can be legally used in India for medicinal purposes only with a prescription, subject to specific conditions. Kindly refer to the legalities here.
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Gambling:
As per the Public Gambling Act of 1867, all Indian states, except Goa, Daman, and Sikkim, prohibit gambling. Land-based casinos are legalized in Goa and Daman under the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act 1976. In Sikkim, land-based casinos, online gambling, and e-gaming (games of chance) are legalized under the Sikkim Online Gaming (Regulation) Rules 2009. Only some Indian states have legalized online/regular lotteries, subject to state laws. Refer to the legalities here. Horse racing and betting on horse racing, including online betting, is permitted only in licensed premises in select states. Refer to the 1996 Supreme Court judgment for more information.
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